Cyprus -Negotiations to avoid industrial action -August 20, 2015

After a meeting between the transport minister and port worker unions broke down a second meeting has been scheduled to avoid industrial action at Cyprus’ ports. The two parties will meet again to discuss the planned port privatisations, the transfer of port workers to the civil service, the new structure of the ports authority and the voluntary retirement scheme. Trade unions are not satisfied with the retirement scheme that is being implemented before ports are privatised. Members of three port trade unions are planning a two-day strike if their demands are not met. Workers at the port of Limassol went earlier on a 24-hour strike on citing lack of progress in the dialogue with the government. That strike ended as the government agreed to pressure the private investor to re-hire the employees and an extra €500,000 was reserved for compensations to the porters and their employees.